Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Guide – How to Upgrade the Secret Base and Quickly Farm XP

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are pretty good remakes of the original DS titles but they offer some new content on top of everything else. This includes the Grand Underground, which replaces the old Underground and provides new opportunities for catching Pokemon (though they’ll be much more challenging than those on the surface). It can be accessed from pretty much everywhere in Sinnoh and also provides some additional treasures to find.

Treasures can also be traded to Hikers who will give you Spheres in return. Along with upgrading your Secret Base, Spheres can be used to purchase Evolution Stones and Heart Scales (which can be traded to the Move Reminder in Pastoria City to help Pokemon re-learn certain moves). But where are these Hikers located?

Simply travel northwest of the Battle Zone Grand Underground area or go straight from the Twin Leaf Grand Underground entrance to find a Hiker. You can also find them in the various sections of the Grand Underground. Dig as much as possible for treasure to trade for Spheres and expand your Secret Base accordingly.

How to Quickly Gain XP

When first starting out, it can seem trivial to level up your Pokemon. XP Share ensures that all Pokemon in your party gain experience regardless of whether they participate. However, due to the lack of XP Candies, leveling up can be a real pain in the late game especially if you’re carrying any lower level Pokemon around. Fortunately, there is a way to lessen the grind.

First, you’ll need a level 50 Pokemon – this will be your main fighter so choose a strong one. Next, you’ll need the Vs. Seeker item which allows for holding rematches against trainers. This means you can continuously farm XP and level up your weaker Pokemon via XP Share. Finally, you’ll want the Lucky Egg item. When held by a Pokemon, it increases the amount of XP earned from battles. On top of this, its effects can stack so you can have six Lucky Eggs, one for each Pokemon in your party (though you’ll only really be able to get two before the endgame).

To find the Lucky Egg, go to Lake Acuity and then venture to the Grand Underground. Go to the Ice Room in the northwest part and you’ll find a Lucky Egg. It can also be won from the Loto-ID in Jubilife City and purchased from the Battle Tower with BP.

With one Lucky Egg held, travel to Route 228 to face the Ace Trainer. This will give you 4K to 5K XP for each battle, and if your main Pokemon is strong enough, the XP should begin rolling in. If you’re seeking more avenues to grind XP, then battling Barry (your Rival) in the Battle Tower or fighting Dawn/Lucas in Sandgem Town is a good choice. Each of these is only available once per day though. For a more grindable activity, fighting Grand Underground Pokemon is good since they’ll relatively stronger and provide more XP.

For more details on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, check out our review here.